I’m writing this post in OSX’s textedit program because WNYMedia.net was down more often than it was up on Monday in the wake of our blockbuster, possibly campaign-ending, release of outrageous emails sent by Carl Paladino.

The day ended with disingenuousness and desperate subject-changing by the Republican gubernatorial candidate from Buffalo.

To any of the ladies I’ve offended, I apologize. I say this to the men out there who have never opened a graphic image on the Internet: Don’t vote for me. For those who have, I welcome your vote.

Ah, but it’s not about opening graphic images on the internet. It’s more about sending horsefucking videos around town. Seriously, that is a video that I cannot ever unsee. I only wish that I could.

Carl Paladino has forwarded close friends hundreds of email messages he received. Many of these emails he received were off color, some were politically incorrect, few represented his own opinion, and almost none of them were worth remembering. We’re not surprised the political establishment feels threatened by Carl’s drive to take Albany back for taxpayers. Our campaign won’t be wading through the details of what is just another liberal Democrat blog smear. It figures that members of the Party who brought us record taxes, record spending and record debt would want to change the topic from reform to having sex with horses and S&M parlors.

Michael Caputo alleged the Western NY Web site where Paladino’s e-mails first appeared this morning is run by a “hardcore Democrat” who has written a number of critical posts about the Buffalo businessman – including the fact that he not only used to be a Democrat himself, but also contributed campaign cash to the very Democrats he’s now attacking.

Caputo alleged that this blogger is in fact in receipt of “in depth research conducted by somebody’s oppo research team.”

“New Yorkers need a true leader to be our next Governor. The times are serious and only someone who represents our values and principles can marshal the resources to meet our State’s great challenges. Carl Paladino’s emails offer us a clear insight into the man, his vision, his contempt for so many of our citizens, and his extreme agenda. Unquestionably, his disgusting emails disqualify him completely from public service.

It’s interesting to watch a local story turn into a national one. It’s fun to watch a nascent campaign try and address its third major crisis/scandal in as many weeks. Seriously, how many times is Paladino going to apologize for being “human”?

Because no one is denying his humanity, and no one is saying he needs to be perfect. But some people think sending racist emails or emails containing bestiality videos is funny, and others don’t. I’d wager that most people don’t. But you don’t run on a traditional values platform and have that in your background. You don’t criticize others’ ethical or moral shortcomings when you have your own, in spades. Paladino is flailing around now, accusing everyone of everything, when he has only himself to blame. His apologists and promoters also shoot the messenger, but in the end if you hold fringe beliefs, you can’t just shrug them off as folksy outspokenness or a lack of political correctness. That’s just a passive-aggressive way of saying you screwed up.

And the problem for us New Yorkers is that this year’s gubernatorial candidate stable is quite thin.

Paladino would have you believe he’s a lifelong conservative Republican. A guy so politically principled, with tea party credentials so pure, that he’s mocking Steve Levy’s recent Democratic past, and his support of Sheldon Silver’s Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee. Naturally, a good tea party candidate includes Biblical language implying that Cox and Levy are not unlike Judas; 30 pieces of silver was Judas’ payoff for betraying Jesus to the Romans.

But since Paladino is blasting Levy as being a Johnny-come-lately to the Republican fold, what about his own contributions and electoral history?

But you can’t just erase a 30-year history as a loyal Democrat and generous donor to Democratic candidates and causes. Including the dreaded Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee that Paladino now berates Steve Levy for having donated to.

Staats Street Group, Inc. has given nearly $5,000 to local and statewide Democrats, including $150 to the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, which Paladino uses as evidence that Levy is really a Democrat.

Swan Group LP, has given nearly $27,000 to various Democrats, including Robin Schimminger, Byron Brown, Brian Higgins, the New York State Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee, Erie County Democratic Party (ECDC), Len Lenihan, Jim Keane, and Dennis Gabryszak.

Mohawk Group LP, has given $9,600 to Democrats including David Paterson, Mark Poloncarz, Sam Hoyt, the ECDC and the Lackawanna Democratic Committee.

Niagara Group, LP has given $4,790 to local and statewide Democrats including Spitzer for Attorney General, Higgins, Dan Ward, Paul Tokasz, Hoyt and the ECDC.

Michigan/Seneca Group, LP has given $14,750 to local and statewide Democrats including Spitzer for Attorney General, Paul Clark, Len Lenihan, the ECDC, Denise O’Donnell, Higgins, Paterson and Spitzer for Governor.

8246 Group, LP has given $6,600 to local and statewide Democrats including the ECDC, Spitzer, Paul Clark and Jim Keane.

Paladino and his various shell companies and associations have donated over $135,000 to Democratic candidates since 2000, including several hundred dollars for Sheldon Silver’s Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee. We’d have to consult paper records to go further back than that.

The appeal of the tea party movement is that it attracts and energizes people who believe themselves to be disenfranchised or otherwise ignored by government. Paladino is the consummate insider. He knows all the players. He donates generously to his favored candidates – to the people who will best help him and his businesses. He is not a principled player but a fundamentally transactional one.

Just look above at the various legally constituted entities he uses to donate money to candidates. He can donate far, far above the individual or corporate maximum by peppering his donations across several entities. It’s an insider’s trick, designed to maximize influence and minimize public scrutiny. (No one’s heard of “Niagara Group, LP”, for instance).

And turning back again to the party switch in 2005, Paladino has been relentlessly critical of the Brown Administration. Of course, Brown has decided that Rocco Termini is his local developer of choice, thus shunting Paladino off to the side. I have no doubt that this:

CP: I don’t know what I am. I’m a whatever. I don’t care. Any way you want to define me.

That was in 2006. Just four years later, Paladino has morphed from left-leaning transactional political player to right-leaning transactional political player. But he’s not in any position to accuse others of not passing a political purity test.